Systems Intelligence (SI)

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Systems Intelligence (SI)

• Esa Saarinen and
• Raimo P. Hämäläinen
• Helsinki University of Technology
• Systems Analysis Laboratory
• esa_at_hut.fi
• raimo_at_hut.fi
• www.systemsintelligence.hut.fi

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Topics for Discussion Could it be that ...

• SI is a hidden/ignored innate capacity in all of
  us
• SI is an iconic concept stimulating thinking and
  action
• Becomes a personal learning challenge
• Is an essential prerequisite for future
  leadership
• An asset in personal and organizational life
• Can be a wisdom when negotiating and resolving
  complex global conflicts and environmental
  problems
• Can be introduced and trained in schools
• SI manifests itself in many ways in our everyday
  life

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Definition of Systems Intelligence

• Intelligent behaviour in the context of complex
  systems involving interaction,dynamics and
  feedback
• A subject acting with Systems Intelligence
  engages successfully and productively with the
  holistic feedback mechanisms of her environment
• She perceives herself as part of a whole, the
  influence of the whole upon herself as well as
  her own influence upon the whole
• By observing her own interdependence in the
  feedback intensive environment, she is able to
  act intelligently

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Systems Intelligence

• Combines human sensitivities with engineering
  thinking with the idea of making things work
• Systems Intelligence is a mirror that helps to
  identify productive forms of action one already
  follows intuitively
• Our conviction is that Systems Intelligence is a
  key form of human intelligence
• A fundamental element in the adaptive human
  toolbox
• It is a competence that can be improved by
  learning

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The Fifth Discipline (Senge 1990)

• Cornerstones of learning organizations
• Personal Mastery
• Mental Models
• Shared Vision
• Team Learning
• Systems Thinking
• Systems Intelligence is the fundamental link
  between
• Personal Mastery and Systems Thinking.

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Multiple Intelligences (Howard Gardner 1983)

• Linguistic Intelligence
• Musical Intelligence
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
• Spatial Intelligence
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
• The Personal Intelligences intra / inter
• Gardner These do not yet explain higher-level
  cognitive capacities e.g. common sense,
  metaphorical capacity or wisdom

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SI and Multiple Intelligences

• SI points beyond the forms of intelligence of
  Gardner (Multiple Intelligences), Goleman and
  others (Emotional Intelligence, Social
  Intelligence)
• Links intelligence with the concept of system
• Systems Intelligence is another important higher
  level human cognitive capacity
• Inspiration from the work of Peter Senge (1990)
• Systems Intelligence is a survival asset we have
  as a species

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Systems Intelligence links with

• Systems Thinking (Churchman 1968, Senge 1990,
  Oshry 1996, Checkland 1999, Flood 1999, )
• Organizational theories and learning, Action
  research, Philosophical Practice and Dialogue
  (ArgylisSchön , Schein ,Bohm 1980, Isaacs 1999,)
  
• Socratic tradition in philosophy which emphasises
  conceptual thinking for the purposes of the good
  life (Hadot 1987, Long 2002)
• Therapeutic thinking, positive psychology and
  situation analysis (Bateson 2000, Goffman 1974,
  Seligman 2002)
• Theories of Decision Making and Problem Solving
  (Simon 1956, Keeney 1992, Kahneman, Tversky 2000)

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Systems Thinking - the common understanding

• Observes interdependencies and wholes
• Views matters from different perspectives
• Especially through the eyes of others
• Becomes Systems Intelligence when a person takes
  active personal responsibility for her actions
  within the system

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Systems Thinking is only the first step

• Emphasizes the importance of wholes and
  perspectives as it conceptualises and models
  systems of interaction and feedback from outside
• Can become a trap when one only sees systems from
  outside and does not recognize herself being an
  active part of them

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Systems IntelligenceBasic ideas Structures

• Structure produces behaviour
• Beliefs regarding structures produce behaviour
• Beliefs regarding the beliefs others have
  regarding structures, produce behaviour
• Structures of co-operation are fundamentally
  based on the assumptions and meta-assumptions
  people make of others involved in that system of
  co-operation
• Structures determine the patterns and dynamics of
  interaction

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Systems can take over

• People can get caught in systems (organizations)
  that serve nobodys interest
• There does not need to be an external reason for
  the particulars of a system
• Yet people in the system can feel helpless
  regarding their possibilities of changing the
  system
• In most systems, each subject separately reacts
  to the system without seeing the cumulative
  overall effect of the reactive behaviours on the
  others

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From Systems Thinking ...

• The environment and ones place in it are
  perceived in terms of interconnectivity and
  interdependence
• The systems perspective wants to see the world as
  composed of systems, to examine these entities as
  wholes
• But also
• Part and Whole are relative abstractions
• They are mental constructs, which are relative to
  the perspective adopted i.e. subject to
  redefinition
• Boundaries of a system can always be redrawn

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... to Systems Intelligence

• Unlike Systems Thinking (in its narrow meaning),
  Systems Intelligence is primarily
  outcome-oriented and not a descriptive effort
  only
• Unlike Systems Thinking, Systems Intelligence
  involves driving change and actively embracing
  change
• Becomes a challenge for personal learning
• The theoretical understanding of Systems Thinking
  does not need to increase Systems Intelligence

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Thinking about Thinking

• Systems Intelligence begins when a person starts
  to re-think her thinking regarding her
  environment and the feedback structures and other
  systems structures of that environment
• Identifying ones favoured framing patterns,
  challenging them and adjusting them accordingly
• A Systems Intelligent person will acknowledge the
  limitations of her thinking and mental models
  particularly through challenging her own thinking

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Seeing oneself in the system

• The impact of ones behaviours and interaction
  patterns upon the behaviours of others
• The impact of other agents feedback on my
  behaviour
• The impact of the current system on all of us is
  in the long run
• The modes of conformity I have already adopted as
  a result of established practices
• The modes of conformity the others have already
  adopted as a result of established practices
• The desired ideal state I would like to reach
  with the others

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SI Connects Engineering Thinking with Emotions

• From reactive behaviour into the intelligent
  management of situations, feelings and the whole
• Human emotions are essential they cannot be
  ignored their systemic effects need to be taken
  into account intelligently
• A systems engineering perspective to the systemic
  impacts of emotions

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Simple acts of Systems Intelligence in Everyday
Life

• Appreciation
• No judgements
• Interest
• Humor
• Listening
• Thanking
• Encouragement
• Friendliness

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Managing the invisible

• In most human systems and organizations the true
  system often includes hidden subsystems such as
  fear and trust generation or belief formation
• It is very easy to forget to use behavioural
  input variables controlling such invisible parts
• To understand the system, it can be more
  important to know what is not produced than what
  the standard output is
• A Systems Intelligent approach acknowledges and
  aims to identify and understand both the visible
  and invisible part of the system and find inputs
  to impact their behaviour in a positive way

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Optimism for change

• Systems Intelligence focuses on changes as
  leveraged by the human mental world and the
  systemic nature of life around us
• Systems Intelligence acknowledges that beliefs
  influence actions and actions influence beliefs.
• There might be a systematic flaw in the way a
  group of agents perceives the way others think
  and what they truly want
• A relatively small change in my behaviour might
  trigger a chain of changes in the actual
  behaviours in each of us

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Systems Intelligence Archetypes

• Fixes that Fire triggering systemic change,
  resonance, bifurcation/chaos with positive long
  term impacts
• Sharing Away the Burden we have a dream, open
  source philosophy
• Miracle of the Commons evolution of
  co-operation through reciprocity

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Systems Theory and Systems Intelligence

• A system is defined by identifying the system
  inputs i.e. control, intervention, decision or
  stimulus variables and system output variables
  i.e. the observed responses or reactions
• The state of a system consists of the variables
  representing the elements in the system which
  determine its future behaviour
• Systems can have many different state
  representations

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Complexity

• Well known parts unknown interactions

• output /
• observation

• control /
• intervention

• The interdependence of subsystems is unknown
• Sometimes a minor intervention can trigger
  unexpected, chaotic or bifurcating responses in
  the system
• The most essential part of the system may be one
  that was never intentionally built into it

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Observability

• The observability of subsystems

• output/
• observation/
• measurement

• control/
• intervention

• A system is observable if one can derive the
  values of all the states by a sufficiently long
  observation of the outputs
• Without a sufficient set of observation
  (measurement) variables one can remain unaware of
  important active subsystems
• You cannot manage systems which you do not see

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Controllability

• The controllability of subsystems

control/ intervention

• output/
• observation

• A system is controllable if it can be driven to
  any state value by sufficiently rich controls
• In addition to the seemingly controllable visible
  system there can be an uncontrollable subsystem
  human or technical
• You must have a sufficient set of inputs to cause
  an impact on all the states

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Systems Intelligence

• output/
• observation
• Seeing the previously invisible parts

• control/
• intervention

Systems Intelligent intervention

• SI looks for ways to observe and address the
  invisible subsystems and interactions of emotions
  and beliefs
• Without the management of the whole the structure
  starts to produce uncontrollable behaviour we
  have systems dictatorship

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Uncontrollability System Dictatorship

• The structure and limited input and observation
  variables can create a situation of
  uncontrollability system dictatorship
• Even if a system mainly consists of human agents
  the overall behaviour can be determined by the
  non-human elements and dynamic structures such as
  time delays and sequential communication patters
  (e.g. Beer Game, Senge 1990)
• Systems Intelligence is aware of structures even
  if all the agents try to do their best the
  resulting system response can be bad due to the
  structure

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Systems Intelligent Organization

• Empowers people to share their mental system
  models of the organization and to consider the
  effects of their own actions on the whole
• Fosters and sustains inquiry mode and reduces
  advocacy
• Keeps fear factors down
• Helps people to be responsive to flourishing
  initiatives
• Builds trust in the good will of others
• Sees that its production capacity is not
  restricted to the measurable variables but is
  extended to the world of emotions and well being
• Elevates innovativeness by an environment where
  emotional variables do not limit performance

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5 Levels of SI for self-evaluation and
measurement of SI

• Seeing oneself in the System Ability to see
  oneself and ones roles and behaviour in the
  system. Also through the eyes of other people and
  with different framings of the system. Systems
  thinking awareness.
• Thinking about Systems Intelligence Ability to
  envision and identify productive ways of
  behaviour for oneself in the system and
  understanding systemic possibilities.
• Managing Systems Intelligence Ability to
  personally excercise productive ways of behaviour
  in the system.
• Sustaining Systems Intelligence Ability to
  continue and foster systems intelligent behaviour
  in the long run .
• Leadership with Systems Intelligence Ability to
  initiate and create systems intelligent
  organizations

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Systems Intelligent Leader

• Strives to learn and reach Level 5
• Sees himself in the system with a mission to
  develop a Systems Intelligent Organization
• Is aware of the human perspective
• Operates within the visible system and manages
  the emotional system simultaneously
• Is not held captive by the mechanistic
  perspective
• Identifies and eliminates structural systems
  dictatorships
• Systems Intelligence has become an iconic
  personal growth challenge and a success asset

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Ecological Systems Intelligence

• Evolutionary processes exhibit a spontaneous
  emergence of co-operation generating superior
  overall behaviour for all the actors (Axelrod
  1984, Gintis et al. 2003)
• Human decision making does not follow the axioms
  of rationality assumed in economic theory.
• Bounded rationality choice behaviour strongly
  reflects the systemic decision environment
• We can escape the Prisoners Dilemma a deviation
  from local status quo is not possible by
  self-interested rationality
• Can be interpreted as a manifestation of
  ecological Systems Intelligence?

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Games People Play
In experimental games People do not take
everything for themselves. They choose
co-operative strategies reflecting Systems
Intelligence.
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Esa Saarinen and Raimo P. HämäläinenSystems
Intelligence Connecting Engineering Thinking
with Human Sensitivity in Systems Intelligence
Discovering a Hidden Competence in Human Action
and Organizational Life, Raimo P. Hämäläinen and
Esa Saarinen (Eds.), Helsinki University of
Technology, Systems Analysis Laboratory Research
Reports A88, October 2004Downloadable at
www.systemsintelligence.hut.fi Systems
Intelligence Research Groupwww.systemsintelligenc
e.hut.fi/Downloadable articles on
SIwww.systemsintelligence.tkk.fi/SI2004.htmlSa
arinen Esa,www.sal.hut.fi/Personnel/Homepages/Esa
S.html www.esasaarinen.com/?kielienetusivuHäm
äläinen Raimo P., www.raimo.hut.fi

• About SI

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References

• Axelrod Robert. 1984. The Evolution of
  Co-operation, London, Peguin Books
• Bateson Gregory. 2000. Steps to an Ecology of
  Mind (Reprinted edition, original published in
  1972) The University of Chicago Press
• Bohm David. 1996. On Dialogue. London, Routledge
• Checkland Peter. 1999. Systems Thinking, Systems
  Practice. Chichester, John Wiley
• Churchman C. West. 1968. The Systems Approach.
  New York, Delta
• De Botton Alain. 2000. The Consolations of
  Philosophy, London, Penguin Books
• Flood Robert L. 1999. Rethinking the Fifth
  Discipline Learning Within the Unknowable,
  Routledge
• Gardner Howard. 1983. Frames of Mind The Theory
  of Multiple Intelligences, Tenth anniversary
  edition. New York, Basic Books.
• Gigerenzer Gerd and Selten Reinhard (editors).
  2001. Bounded Rationality The Adaptive Toolbox,
  Cambridge, The MIT Press

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References

• Gintis Herbert, Bowles Samuel, Boyd Robert and
  Fehr Ernst. 2003. Explaining Altruistic Behavior
  in Humans, Evolution and Human Behavior, Vol. 24,
  pp. 153-172.
• Goffman Erving. 1986 (1974). Frame Analysis,
  Harper Row
• Goleman Daniel. 1995. Emotional Intelligence, New
  York, Bantam Books
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• Hämäläinen Raimo P. and Saarinen Esa (Eds.).
  2004b. Systems Intelligence - Discovering a
  Hidden Competence in Human Action and
  Organizational Life, Helsinki University of
  Technology, Systems Analysis Laboratory Research
  Reports, A88, October 2004
• Isaacs William. 1999. Dialogue and the Art of
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• Kahneman Daniel and Tversky Amos (editors) 2000.
  Choices, Values and Frames, Cambridge, Cambridge
  University Press

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References

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